Extraction of the ${}^{235}$U and ${}^{239}$Pu Antineutrino Spectra at Daya Bay

Abstract

This Letter reports the first extraction of individual antineutrino spectra from ${}^{235}$U and ${}^{239}$Pu fission and an improved measurement of the prompt energy spectrum of reactor antineutrinos at Daya Bay. The analysis uses $3.5\times 10^6$ inverse beta-decay candidates in four near antineutrino detectors in 1958 days. The individual antineutrino spectra of the two dominant isotopes, ${}^{235}$U and ${}^{239}$Pu, are extracted using the evolution of the prompt spectrum as a function of the isotope fission fractions. In the energy window of 4--6~MeV, a 7\% (9\%) excess of events is observed for the ${}^{235}$U (${}^{239}$Pu) spectrum compared with the normalized Huber-Mueller model prediction. The significance of discrepancy is $4.0\ddot{I}ƒ$ for ${}^{235}$U spectral shape compared with the Huber-Mueller model prediction. The shape of the measured inverse beta-decay prompt energy spectrum disagrees with the prediction of the Huber-Mueller model at $5.3\ddot{I}ƒ$. In the energy range of 4--6~MeV, a maximal local discrepancy of $6.3\ddot{I}ƒ$ is observed.

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